Radical Religion in America: Millenarian Movements from the Far Right to the Children of Noah

by Jeffrey Kaplan

Book Overview

The burning in Waco of the Branch Davidian compound and the Oklahoma City bombing have heightened fear of American extremist groups. Jeffrey Kaplan combines interviews, correspondence, and publications not hitherto accessible to examine the cultic milieu in which these religious movements exist.

Kaplan discusses several radical belief systems, but concentrates on three of the more prominent groups. They include the Christian Identity, whose...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0815603967
• ISBN13: 9780815603962
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Syracuse University Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

On the whole a good book

The only problem with this book to me is that, while providing a good overview of the Children of Noah movement, I am not sure why it is in there in the first place. It can be damaging to a group to place them alongside other groups who are racist and violent in their ideologies. Despite pointing out that this movement is different, the image of all of these groups together will remain in people's minds. It's a bit like authors who place Wicca and other small religions in a book about Satanism. This only serves to increase stereotypes and hostility towards some groups.Kaplan, however, is an excellent scholar and the book was a joy to read. Check out some of his articles in the journal "Terrorism and Political Violence". he has an exceptional one on the anti-abortion movement as a millennial movement.

Excellent, realistic and objective view of the subject

Jeffrey Kaplan has produced one of the most responsible, non-hysterical accounts of new and unusual religious movements I have seen. Not only does he describe their historical and sociological roots, but deals with the often alarmist and unfair reactions to them. I highly recommend it.

A study of millenarian religions and their anti-cult critics

This is one of the best studies I have read on radical religious groups, and the first serious attempt to document the B'nai Noah and Asatru relgions in a fair manner which shows the diversity of opinions within those movements. A section dealing with anti-cult groups and watchdog groups such as theAnti-Defamation League shows how such groups makelittle effort to truly understand their targetgroups, instead opting for a narrow stereotypingof such groups based on the actions of their mostextreme members. At the same time, Kaplan pullsno punches in illustrating that there aredangerous elements within these religions, eventhough they only make up a small minorityon the fringe of these movements. Recommended for anyoneinterested in the B'nai Noah, Asatru, Odinist, andChristian Identity religions, and for anyonewanting to understand why watchdog groupsare not particularly good sources for info on these religions.

Christian Identity, the Children of Noah Asatru and the ADL

This work is an expansion of Kaplan's doctoral theses. It is not a dry academic work. He has made connections with principals in the Christian Identity, Children of Noah and modern Asatru and Odinist movements and other related groups. Interestingly, despite all the fuss about these groups all are rather small and not very influential in American life and culture. He describes the symbiotic relationship between the racist groups and the Anti-Defamation League. The Children of Noah are a target of Christian Identity as an anti-cult movement. The cults and the anti-cult groups could not exist with out each other. This is a very revealing book